Ribbon Road (theme)
| "Ribbon Road" | |
|---|---|
| "Ribbon Road" in Mario Kart: Super Circuit | |
| |
| Composed by: Unknown | |
| Key | B major |
| BPM | 140 |
| Time signature | Common time |
| First appearance | Mario Kart: Super Circuit (2001) |
| Latest appearance | Mario Kart World (2025) |
"Ribbon Road"[1] is a musical theme in Mario Kart: Super Circuit, where it plays in the race course of the same name.
History[edit]
Mario Kart: Super Circuit[edit]
Mario Kart: Super Circuit marks the first appearance of "Ribbon Road".
Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]
- “This is really different from the original track. We hadn't expected to end up with this kind of steady stomping sound, but it ends up working surprisingly well. I hope you agree!”
- —Liner notes in the Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack
In Mario Kart 8 and the Nintendo Switch port, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, as part of the Animal Crossing × Mario Kart 8 DLC, an arrangement of "Ribbon Road" arranged by Kenta Nagata plays in GBA Ribbon Road. It is likewise titled "GBA Ribbon Road" in the Nintendo Music app and the official Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack album. A looping drum set beat is added to the instrumentation whenever the player is driving at top speed while in first place.
This arrangement features heavy alterations from the original theme:
- It now uses surf rock instrumentation and has been sped up to 170 BPM.
- Most of the theme is now in C major and the last section is in F major.
- In the first section, the main xylophone melody has been stretched out, transposed down by an octave, and overlaid by an electric guitar. For the rest of the arrangement, it is completely replaced by the electric guitar.
- The arpeggio in the bridge section is now a descending one.
- Some notes have been shifted around.
The version of the theme that plays during the final lap features a unique intro; this distinction is shared with "Rock Rock Mountain" and "DK Jungle" in Mario Kart 7, "Toad Harbor" and "Mute City" in Mario Kart 8, "SNES Bowser Castle 3" in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and "Peach Beach" in Mario Kart World.
 GBA Ribbon Road - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart 8 | File info 0:30 |
| GBA Ribbon Road (Frontrunning) - The remix heard in Mario Kart 8 | File info 0:30 |
Mario Kart World[edit]
In Mario Kart World, a blues rock arrangement of "Ribbon Road" can play in Free Roam during the day, on the route from Whistlestop Summit to DK Spaceport in the Mushroom Cup, and on any VS Race route during the day. Although this arrangement is mostly faithful to the original, it also incorporates elements from the Mario Kart 8 arrangement.
| Ribbon Road - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart World | File info 0:30 |
Gallery[edit]
Image for "GBA Ribbon Road" from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Nintendo Music
List of Super Mario appearances[edit]
Games[edit]
| Work | System | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Kart: Super Circuit | Game Boy Advance | 2001 | Original | ||
| Mario Kart 8 | Wii U | 2015[a] | Arrangement | "GBA Ribbon Road"[2] | Kenta Nagata |
| Remix | |||||
| Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | Nintendo Switch | 2017 | Past arrangement (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe) | "GBA Ribbon Road"[2] | Kenta Nagata |
| Past remix (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe) | |||||
| Mario Kart World | Nintendo Switch 2 | 2025 | Arrangement | "Ribbon Road"[1] |
- ^ Added in the Animal Crossing × Mario Kart 8 DLC on April 23, 2015
Albums[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack | 2015 | Past arrangement (Mario Kart 8) | "GBA Ribbon Road" | Kenta Nagata |
Other media[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Music | 2024 | Past arrangement (Mario Kart 8) | "GBA Ribbon Road" | Kenta Nagata |
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | リボンロード Ribon Rōdo |
Ribbon Road | [3] | |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 缎带之路 Duàndài zhī lù |
Ribbon Road | [3] | |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 絲帶之路 Sīdài zhī lù |
Ribbon Road | [3] | |
| Dutch | Sprintlint | Dash Ribbon | [3] | |
| French | Route Ruban | Ribbon Road | [3] | |
| German | Party-Straße | Party Road | [3] | |
| Italian | Strada del Fiocco | Bow Road | [3] | |
| Korean | 리본 로드 Ribon Rodeu |
Ribbon Road | [3] | |
| Portuguese | Estrada de Fita | Ribbon Road | [3] | |
| Russian | Серпантин Serpantin |
Serpentine/Streamer | [3] | |
| Spanish (Latin American) | Ruta Listón | Ribbon Route | [3] | |
| Spanish (European) | Ruta del Lazo | Ribbon Route | [3] |
